Sewing machine



Jan. 12, .1932. ,1. WHELTON 1 SEWING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet Jan. 12, 1932. J. M. WHELTON SEWING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mess l/JM KLfi-Am devices.

Patented Jan. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN M. WHELTON, OF PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MA- CHINERY CORPORATION, OF PA'IERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY SEWIN MACHINE Application filed August 20, 1929. Serial No. 387,243.

The present invention has relation to sewing machines, and relates particularly to machines adapted to sew shoes and like objects of irregular shape which have to be manipulated in three dimensions during the sewing.

In the use of such machines, the burden of guiding the articles being operated upon rests largely upon the operator, and the quality of the work is determined chiefly by his close observation and skillful handling of the work as the stitching progresses.

It has been the practice hitherto to build sewing machines of the type referred to in two parts, comprising a head carrying the stitch-forming, work-feeding, work-guiding, and thread-handling devices and their actuating means, and a supporting pedestal having the power transmitting and controlling In practically all instances, the head has been fixedly applied to the pedestal and supported thereby at a fixed height above the floor. This arrangement has-made no provision for differences in stature or physical makeup of the operators of such machines, and in the case of the familiar inseam shoe sewing machine has called for the exer cise of the considerable amount of muscular energy involved in holding the shoe pressed upwardly and against the back gage and guide, at a height and in a position which is often disadvantageous for the particular operator concerned. Furthermore, this arrangement has in certain instances hampered the operator in observing the progress of the stitching and ascertaining that the stitches are properly laid in the bottom of the channel, through. compelling him to assume an unnatural posture to see over the work or under or around the stitch-forming and work-guiding devices.

In the few instances in the prior art where provision has been made for adjustment of the inclination of the head of a machine of this type, it has been accomplished in such manner that the point of operation of the stitch-forming devices has been shifted forwardly or backwardly with respect to the pedestal on which the controlling treadle is mounted. Since the operator is prevented from making a compensating shift of his own position by the necessity of keeping his foot upon this treadle, the changed position of the work with respect to his body has required an objectionable change in the highly-trained muscular co-ordination upon which his skill and speed are based. Where provision has been made for permitting the raising or lowering of the head, no mechanical means have been provided for handling the heavy weight of the head in adjusting it up or down.

The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages referred to by providing a sewing machine of the pedestal type having a head that is vertically adjustable by mechanical means which will greatly facilitate and simplify the effort involved. This is accomplished by combining the head with the base of the machine with capacity for vertical movement under the influence of means, preferably a screw, through which power applied manually by the operator is multiplied and caused to lift and lower the head with a minimum of effort, and to support the head at the level desired. It also provides means for tipping the head into the most desirable position, through rotation about an aXis which passes through the point of operation of the stitch-forming devices, so that there is no change of the works position toward or from the operator resulting from angular adjustment of the head. This is preferably accomplished by supporting the head for movement along a segmental track the circular curvature of which has as a center the point of operation of the stitch-forming devices, with mechanical means provided, such as a rack and pinion, for moving the head upon this track, and suitable means such as bolts or screws for clamping the head in adjusted position. Other objects of the invention, and their means of accomplishment, will be made plain upon reference to the following specification and claims, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The drawings show the invention in its preferred form, illustrated in connection with a typical inseam shoe sewing machine merely for purposes of showing the manner of application of the principles. As will be obvious to those skilled in the art, the features of the invention are equally applicable to other types of sewing machines and it is to be understood that except as defined in the claims, the features of the present invention are not'limited to use in any particular type of sewing machine.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 is a front view, with a portion of" the base, and the stitch-forming,work-guiding and feeding, and thread-handlingdevices a-ndtheir actuating means omitted.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the head carrying the stitch-forming and other associated devices and their actuating means, is that of a typical Goodyear welt and turn shoe inseam sewing machine, and except as hereinafter described, is the same in construction and mode of operation as the machine disclosed in U. S.

patents to Andrew Eppler, No. 1,076,201, is-.

sued October 21, 1913, and No. 1,108,560, .is-

sued August 25, 1914, to which patents refer ence maybe had for full description of the features and parts not material to the present invention and not described hereinafter.

" At 2 is thechannelr uide, the end of which engages theshoetat the point of operation of the stitch-forming devices, which include the needle t and the looper 6. About the end of this channel-guide are grouped the workf-eedi-ng and guiding devices, including the awl, (not shown) the welt-guide 8, and the backz-rest'lO. The actuating means for these devices, not being concerned in the present invention, are not described herein, it being.

deemed sufficient for present purposes to state that they. are substantially asset forth in the patents. referred to, and all derive their actuation from the rotation of the cam-shaft 1-2 which is mounted in the usual brackets 14, 16. attached by'bolts 18 to the yoke 20.

The base or pedestal by which the head is upheld isas usual in two parts, an intermediate column 28, and a bottom portion 22 which rests upon the floor and carries the driving "motor 24 and the treadle 26 through which the operator controls the starting and stopping and tllBwSPBGCl of the sewing machine by the pressure of his foot.

,In accordance with the invention, instead ofaflixing the yoke20= directly to the. top of the column28,t-his column is formed to receive a plunger 30 integral with a supporting member 82'1nterposed between the column 28 and the head, theplunger being of circular cross-section and the column terminating in a split collar 86 of proper diameter and depth to lit closely about the plunger and maintain it and ti head firmly against lateral vibration while permitting vertical adjustment of the plunger, supporting member, and head with respect to the base or pedestal. To guard against any looseness developing from wear or other causes, a screw 34 is threaded into bosses 38 formed on opposite sides of the split in the collar 36, to draw the latter more closely about the plunger if needed.

To raise and lower the head, and maintain it in adjusted position at the desired height, the plunger 30 is formed with an integral cross-member 40 which is bored and threaded upon the axis of the plunger, to receive a screw l2 rotatably mounted in the bearing 48 formed in the bracket 50 and supported vertically by ball bearings 1-6 interposed between the upper extremity of the bearing 48 and the collar la ixed to the screw. A bevelgear 52 fixed upon the blank lower end of the screw, engaging with another bevel-gear 5% fixed upon the end of a short shaft 56 that is mounted in a bearing 58 forming a part of the bracket 50. The shaft 56 extends out through the side of the column 28 and has its end squared to receive the correspondinglyshaped hub of a hand-crank 60. Thus, through rotation of this crank, the operator canwith ease turn the'screw 4' to' raise or lower the plunger 30, supporting member 82 and the head of the machine to position the latter at a height which will enable him to present the work to the stitch-forming instrumentalities with the utmost facility and wit-ha minimum of strain and resulting fatigue in the course of continuous operation of the machine.

In order to permit the tipping of the head into a position affording the operator the greatest ease of observation and. iiianipulzitioil of the work in the course of the stitching, the invention includes the provision of a segmental track formed upon the supporting member 32 and comprising a pair of flanges or rails 62 disposed in parallel vertical planes at opposite sides ofthe supporting member 32, and having their top bearing surfaces formed'as portions of circles having a common axis passing horizontally through the point of operation of he stitch-forming devices. Such axis will of necessity pass substantially through the lower extremity of the channel-guide 2. Upon the track defined by these lianges 62 is mou; ted a carrier 6 f to which the yoke 20 of the head is secured. The carriage 64 has flanges 66 each extending down inwardly of and in close proximity to its adjacent flange 62of the track, to guide the carriage as it is moved along the track. Secured to the inward face of one flange 66 is asegmental rack 68, having teeth 72 provided upon its convex or lower edge. Vithin a sleeve 74 extending part way across the supporting member 32 is rotatably mounted a short shaft 76 which has fixed upon it a pinion 78 whose teeth engage with thoseupon the rack 68, and one end of the shaft 76 extends out from the side of the supporting member 32 and has applied to its squared extremity the hub 79 of a hand crank 80.

Through the use of this hand-crank 80 and the rack-and-pinion power-amplifying means, the carriage 64 supporting the head can be easily caused to travel backward or forward along the track in connection with supporting member 32 to tip the head into the position most satisfactory to the individual operator. lVhen such position has been found, the adjustment thus secured is maintained by tightening bolts 82 which are threaded into holes in the flanges 66 of the carriage 64, and which pass through segmental slots 84 in the flanges 62 forming the track. Additional holes 86 are also provided in the flanges 66, to which the bolts 82 may be transferred to enable a greater degree of travel of the carriage 64 and resultant tipping of the head to be secured than is possible through the limitation of the length of the segmental slots 84.

To provide for operating the power-transmitting clutch-devices included within the housing 88, Fig. 2, the clutch arm 90, in the shape of a bell-crank lever pivoted at 92 on brackets 94 on the housing, is connected at its free end with a cable 96 which leads over a pulley 98 on the top edge of the carriage 64 and which is connected at 100 With the treadle 26. The location of the pulley 98 is such that the cable 96 will maintain the proper lead to operate the clutch lever upon depression of the treadle 26 in the various angular positions into which the head may be adjusted in tipping it back or forth.

The driving belt 102, transmitting power from the motor 24 to the pulley 104 in connection with the head, is held out of contact with the clutch-lever 90 when the head is tipped by means of an idler 106 rotating on a pin 108 fixed in one end of a lever 110 mounted upon the pivot pin 92 carrying the clutch lever 90. The opposite end of such lever 110 is provided with a screw 112 bearing against the side of the housing 88 to adjust the position of the idler and thus control the tension of the belt 102. The machme is equipped with the usual reverse-motion gearing having motion imparted thereto by the motor 24 through the belt 116 and the pulley 118 operably connected with said gearing. In order to maintain a constant tension on the belt 116, the belt is passed about the idlcrs 114 freely mounted on the bracket 115 and so positioned that they will take up the belt during the downward swing of the head and give up the belt during the upward swing of the head.

What is claimed as the invention 1. An inseam shoe sewing machine wherein a. lasted shoe is manipulated by an operator to transfer the point of operation about the shoe, having, in combination, a head carrying stitch-forming work supporting work feeding and guiding devices including a channel guide, a supporting base for the head, and means combining the head with the base with capacity for swinging movement of the head about the end of the channel guide as a center.

2. An inseam shoe sewing machine wherein a lasted shoe is manipulated by an operator to transfer the point of operation about the shoe, having, in combination, a head carrying the stitch-forming devices work supporting means and work feeding means, a supporting base for he head, and means combining the head with the base with capacity for swinging movement of the head about the point of operation of the stitchforming devices as a center.

3. An inseam shoe sewing machine Wherein lasted shoe is manipulated by an operator to transfer the point of operation about the shoe, having, in combination, a head car rying the stitch-forming work supporting guiding and feeding devices, a base, a supporting member vertically adjustable with respect to the base, and means for adjusting the head an ularly with respect to the supporting member about the point of operation of the stitch-forming devices as a center.

4. An inseam shoe sewing machine wherein a lasted shoe is manipulated by an operator to transfer the point of operation about the shoe, having, in combination, a head carrying the stitch-forming work supporting guiding and feeding devices, a base, a supporting member vertically adjustable with respect to the base, a segmental track in combination with the supporting member and concentric with the point of operation of the stitch-forming devices, and a carriage in connection with the head adapted to be moved upon said track to adjust the angular relation of the head to the base.

5. An inseam shoe sewing machine wherein a lasted shoe is manipulated by an operator to transfer the point of operation about the shoe, having, in combination, a head carrying the stitch-forming work supporting guiding and feeding devices, a base, and means for supporting the head adjustably upon the base, including a screw and manually operable means engaging therewith to vary the elevation of the stitch-forming devices, a segmental track and a carriage movable thereon, and rack-and-pinion means for effecting relative movement between the track and the carriage to vary the angular relation of the head to the line of vision of the operator.

6. An inseam shoe sewing machine wherein a lasted shoe is manipulated by an operator to transfer the point of'operation about the shoe having, in combination, a head carrying stitch forming Work supporting guidingand feeding devices including a channel guide, and means for rotatably adjusting the headvabout a horizontal axis, coincident with the direction of feed and passing through theend of the channel guide.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN M. WHELTON. 

